| Historic Name: |
Harvard Crest |
Common Name: |
Harvard Crest |
| Style: |
Tudor |
Neighborhood: |
Capitol Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1930 |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. |
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The Harvard Crest was designed by architect William Aitken, a young architect who was among the group of local architects who designed Yesler Terrace, the first local public housing project (1940-43). The owner was Emil Pohl, a building contractor. It is notable for its rounded corner, a prominent feature of this intersection in the heart of Capitol Hill. Other than this corner, this is a typical example of the many apartment buildings constructed in the 1920s, when Seattle experienced a major construction boom. The city's population had increased dramatically in previous decades, and prosperity encouraged developers to meet the pent-up demand for housing. Apartments, ranging from basic housing to luxury units, were a significant factor in meeting this need, and became a major element of the streetscape in many Seattle neighborhoods. The Capitol Hill area was the most popular for apartment construction, as it had easy streetcar access to downtown. Its streets were lined with apartment buildings, most of red brick with terra cotta ornamentation like this one.
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| Appearance |
| The Harvard Crest is generally rectangular in plan, but with a prominent rounded curve at the northeast corner. It is of masonry construction with multicolored brick cladding in shades of red and brown. The entry, on the east elevation, has a wide surround of cream-colored terra cotta panels, with the words "Harvard Crest" above the doorway, which has a flattened Tudor arch. The door is newer, of steel and glass. The coping is terra cotta, as are belt courses at the parapet and the water table and vertical elements dividing the bays. The rounded corner is marked by two large terra cotta cartouches, smaller ones are at regular intervals along the parapet. Windows have newer sash, of dark metal in a one-over-one configuration. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Brick |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Parapet |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Multiple Family |
Plan: |
Irregular |
| Structural System: |
Brick |
No. of Stories: |
three |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
Slight |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
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Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, ed. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.
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King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972.
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City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development, Microfilm Records.
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